Alistair
@perivale.bsky.social
Ex-astronomer, now cybersecurity consultant, millennial Londoner back in London. “The horrors persist but so do I” - someone in 2023 apparently
Reposted by Alistair
it's important for children to learn about deep time, the inevitability of loss, and the end of all things.
If you loved THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE, then you'll love its action-packed sequel, PRINCE CASPIAN! The Pevensie children are back, even Edmund, but what about all your favorite friends: Mr. Tumnus, the Beavers, the friendly giant? Well, they've been dead for a thousand years. Sorry.
November 28, 2025 at 7:15 PM
it's important for children to learn about deep time, the inevitability of loss, and the end of all things.
If you loved the HORUS HERESY, then you'll love its action-packed sequel, WARHAMMER 40,000! The Ultramarines are back, even Guilliman, but what about all your favorite friends: Sanguinius, Malcador, the Emperor? Well, they've been dead for ten thousand years. Sorry.
If you loved THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE, then you'll love its action-packed sequel, PRINCE CASPIAN! The Pevensie children are back, even Edmund, but what about all your favorite friends: Mr. Tumnus, the Beavers, the friendly giant? Well, they've been dead for a thousand years. Sorry.
November 29, 2025 at 11:35 AM
If you loved the HORUS HERESY, then you'll love its action-packed sequel, WARHAMMER 40,000! The Ultramarines are back, even Guilliman, but what about all your favorite friends: Sanguinius, Malcador, the Emperor? Well, they've been dead for ten thousand years. Sorry.
Reposted by Alistair
One of the main reasons we need HS2 is to get passenger traffic off the existing lines so that freight can use them. That would remove lorries from the roads, make them safer, and reduce emissions.
November 29, 2025 at 8:28 AM
One of the main reasons we need HS2 is to get passenger traffic off the existing lines so that freight can use them. That would remove lorries from the roads, make them safer, and reduce emissions.
Wonder how much of that is “AI” and how much of that is just that today so much stuff is “content”. I’m significantly out of my student years and haven’t really “watched” anything since, probably, One Day when that came out. I do read a lot I guess but TV has become background noise (1/2)
When I ask them: "What are you reading? What are you watching? What are you listening to?" Often, the answer is: nothing. Which has a direct effect on their over-use of prompts and AI, because they can't think of ideas, because they are literally not engaging with a single figurative thing.
November 29, 2025 at 11:15 AM
Wonder how much of that is “AI” and how much of that is just that today so much stuff is “content”. I’m significantly out of my student years and haven’t really “watched” anything since, probably, One Day when that came out. I do read a lot I guess but TV has become background noise (1/2)
Reposted by Alistair
Reposted by Alistair
I am convinced a large part of the crusade against universities as hot beds of leftwing bias and sedition is because people like Goodwin feel the need to make Nobody Wants To Be My Friend an 'its everyone else's fault!' issue
With every outright racist things he says I think back to his former students and colleagues at a pretty diverse university who had to work with someone who clearly did not respect or value them.
Reflections on the budget from the head of Students4Reform
November 26, 2025 at 11:05 PM
I am convinced a large part of the crusade against universities as hot beds of leftwing bias and sedition is because people like Goodwin feel the need to make Nobody Wants To Be My Friend an 'its everyone else's fault!' issue
Reposted by Alistair
Sorry I haven't been active on social media today, I've been flat out making sure everything goes smoothly on my first day as website manager for the OBR.
November 26, 2025 at 12:23 PM
Sorry I haven't been active on social media today, I've been flat out making sure everything goes smoothly on my first day as website manager for the OBR.
Reposted by Alistair
Founders on LinkedIn still seem to be struggling with the difference between telling people about their humble beginnings and admitting to straight up committing fraud.
November 24, 2025 at 11:17 PM
Founders on LinkedIn still seem to be struggling with the difference between telling people about their humble beginnings and admitting to straight up committing fraud.
See this, this is cool, but thanks to the success in branding LLMs “AI” ends up tarred with the same “this stuff is slop” brush. I really despise what the “AI-industry” is doing
What does a “blend” of AI and physics mean for weather and climate modelling?
In this blog find out more about the potential future blend of AI and physics-based models, as well as steps the Met Office is taking to achieve ambitious aims.
www.metoffice.gov.uk/blog/2025/wh...
In this blog find out more about the potential future blend of AI and physics-based models, as well as steps the Met Office is taking to achieve ambitious aims.
www.metoffice.gov.uk/blog/2025/wh...
November 25, 2025 at 2:58 PM
See this, this is cool, but thanks to the success in branding LLMs “AI” ends up tarred with the same “this stuff is slop” brush. I really despise what the “AI-industry” is doing
Reposted by Alistair
My taxes bring all the boys to the yard.
And they're like "this is bad approach to fiscal policy".
And they're like "this is bad approach to fiscal policy".
November 25, 2025 at 11:55 AM
My taxes bring all the boys to the yard.
And they're like "this is bad approach to fiscal policy".
And they're like "this is bad approach to fiscal policy".
Did he just google “does Europe make batteries” get a bunch of results with actual country names (e.g., Germany) and go “well that’s not the country of Europe”?
Lutnick on the EU: "Another example -- they rule out diesel gas and you gotta have batteries here by 2035. But Europe doesn't make batteries! Only certain countries make batteries and Europe is not one of them. They gotta think better about themselves ... come on! Think correctly."
November 24, 2025 at 7:27 PM
Did he just google “does Europe make batteries” get a bunch of results with actual country names (e.g., Germany) and go “well that’s not the country of Europe”?
Reposted by Alistair
Just as a basic point of fact, Nick Clegg, the most globalist centrist you could possibly meet, knew full well that the referendum was not winnable and had privately resolved that he therefore had to make it a veto to continuing the coalition years before Brexit and the 2015 election.
November 23, 2025 at 10:13 PM
Just as a basic point of fact, Nick Clegg, the most globalist centrist you could possibly meet, knew full well that the referendum was not winnable and had privately resolved that he therefore had to make it a veto to continuing the coalition years before Brexit and the 2015 election.
Reposted by Alistair
To take my tongue out of my cheek, in addition to the 'don't put tariffs on your own exports' point that Anthony Painter makes well, so many of the revenue raisers in this budget are just visibly not going to raise the predicted amounts.
November 23, 2025 at 10:18 PM
To take my tongue out of my cheek, in addition to the 'don't put tariffs on your own exports' point that Anthony Painter makes well, so many of the revenue raisers in this budget are just visibly not going to raise the predicted amounts.
Been sat reading “Failure is not an Option” by Gene Kranz while listening to the “Race for Space” by Public Service Broadcasting. They really do go well together (as you’d expect) but it does make me mourn the fact that we don’t seem to have anything like Apollo to put hope in these days
November 23, 2025 at 4:55 PM
Been sat reading “Failure is not an Option” by Gene Kranz while listening to the “Race for Space” by Public Service Broadcasting. They really do go well together (as you’d expect) but it does make me mourn the fact that we don’t seem to have anything like Apollo to put hope in these days
I guess the shareholders get richer? What I don’t understand is that many of the people involved in this sort of thing have children who will be affected by these decisions
Unreal: "The EPA is moving forward with approvals for pesticides containing 'forever chemicals' as an active ingredient... The agency also announced plans to relax a rule requiring companies to report products containing PFAS and has proposed weakening drinking water standards for the chemicals."
November 23, 2025 at 3:37 PM
I guess the shareholders get richer? What I don’t understand is that many of the people involved in this sort of thing have children who will be affected by these decisions
Reposted by Alistair
Riles me up how often you *still* see people saying “just imagine where it’ll be in a few years time”. Just total faith in exponential improvement despite the fact it’s been close to three years since this stuff really exploded
oh whoa the models aren't just getting better and better consistently huh
November 23, 2025 at 10:51 AM
Riles me up how often you *still* see people saying “just imagine where it’ll be in a few years time”. Just total faith in exponential improvement despite the fact it’s been close to three years since this stuff really exploded
*chaos*
This. My personal feeling is it will be someone we're largely not thinking about but of the obvious candidates Miliband is most likely.
No one else has the mix of internal support, parliamentary organisation, ministerial record and broad popularity. No groundswell but most likely.
No one else has the mix of internal support, parliamentary organisation, ministerial record and broad popularity. No groundswell but most likely.
Miliband as next PM continues to be really under-priced
November 23, 2025 at 12:32 PM
*chaos*
Should probably post a bit of a counter argument here - for projects and systems which, on initial review by an expert, are lower risk then a properly designed LLM can reasonably support risk assessments that would otherwise require unsustainably large teams to conduct with appropriate processes
Worries me a lot in the risk space - people *will* use LLMs to do risk assessments. Most risks will likely not be realised over the course of a project or lifetime of a system, especially if basic controls are implemented, and so, in most cases it’ll look fine. Until it very much doesn’t (2/2)
November 23, 2025 at 12:31 PM
Should probably post a bit of a counter argument here - for projects and systems which, on initial review by an expert, are lower risk then a properly designed LLM can reasonably support risk assessments that would otherwise require unsustainably large teams to conduct with appropriate processes
Problem is that in a lot of industries the “nothing is working now and it’s all on fire” probably won’t be noticed for 5-10 years and any attempt to find out why will take a long time so the individual at the top who replaced the junior staff will have their bonuses and retire untouched (1/2)
The perfect tool for the management classes.
“This replaces junior people for whose work I have nothing but contempt. Hurrah. I no longer have to pay them. (Short pause) Oh noe! Nothing is working now and all on fire!”
“This replaces junior people for whose work I have nothing but contempt. Hurrah. I no longer have to pay them. (Short pause) Oh noe! Nothing is working now and all on fire!”
November 23, 2025 at 12:27 PM
Problem is that in a lot of industries the “nothing is working now and it’s all on fire” probably won’t be noticed for 5-10 years and any attempt to find out why will take a long time so the individual at the top who replaced the junior staff will have their bonuses and retire untouched (1/2)
Across the consulting industry there is a huge push to rely on AI to help generate reports (one of the reasons why the Big 4 aren’t hiring as many new grads) because those at the top have believed the hype - HMG going all in on the hype doesn’t help this (1/2)
This is the 2nd time a major government report from Deloitte has been found to contain errors likely generated by AI.
First in Australia and now, as The Independent has confirmed, in a major healthcare policy paper for the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador #nlpoli #AI #deloitte
First in Australia and now, as The Independent has confirmed, in a major healthcare policy paper for the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador #nlpoli #AI #deloitte
A major healthcare policy paper commissioned by @govnl.bsky.social government from Deloitte at a cost of $1.6 million, cites research papers that don’t exist, making it the second major government policy paper called into question in as many months. #nlpoli #AI
theindependent.ca/news/lji/maj...
theindependent.ca/news/lji/maj...
November 23, 2025 at 12:12 PM
Across the consulting industry there is a huge push to rely on AI to help generate reports (one of the reasons why the Big 4 aren’t hiring as many new grads) because those at the top have believed the hype - HMG going all in on the hype doesn’t help this (1/2)
The depressing thing is that algorithmically delivered content over on Twitter is delivering exactly what the far right want - a government that believes that the country has gone full-on far right and that it’s this it’s duty to deliver while driving liberal viewpoints into hiding
Those who are pursuing increasingly racialised politics lecture the rest of us about how we are out of touch.
All the time, it is they who have fundamentally misread the public.
Yes, people want managed migration. No, they do not want the country torn apart by aggressive nationalism.
All the time, it is they who have fundamentally misread the public.
Yes, people want managed migration. No, they do not want the country torn apart by aggressive nationalism.
Why do people think England flags have been raised on lampposts?
White adults
National pride: 26%
Anti-migrant/minority sentiment: 49%
Both: 19%
Ethnic minority adults
National pride: 15%
Anti-migrant/minority sentiment: 55%
Both: 20%
yougov.co.uk/society/arti...
White adults
National pride: 26%
Anti-migrant/minority sentiment: 49%
Both: 19%
Ethnic minority adults
National pride: 15%
Anti-migrant/minority sentiment: 55%
Both: 20%
yougov.co.uk/society/arti...
November 23, 2025 at 12:05 PM
The depressing thing is that algorithmically delivered content over on Twitter is delivering exactly what the far right want - a government that believes that the country has gone full-on far right and that it’s this it’s duty to deliver while driving liberal viewpoints into hiding
Reposted by Alistair
from government by consultant to government by consultants using generative AI.
decades of degrading government capacity to actually govern has left it open to further degradation through ai hype and perceptions it enables further cost cutting.
decades of degrading government capacity to actually govern has left it open to further degradation through ai hype and perceptions it enables further cost cutting.
Major N.L. healthcare report contains errors likely generated by A.I. – The Independent
$1.6 million Health Human Resources Plan from Deloitte cites research papers that don’t exist, making it the second major government policy paper called into question in as many months
theindependent.ca
November 22, 2025 at 10:09 PM
from government by consultant to government by consultants using generative AI.
decades of degrading government capacity to actually govern has left it open to further degradation through ai hype and perceptions it enables further cost cutting.
decades of degrading government capacity to actually govern has left it open to further degradation through ai hype and perceptions it enables further cost cutting.
Reposted by Alistair
Yeah, as much as I loathe him and he indulged far too much round the edges, Sunak did enforce boundaries on this, as did Starmer on opposition, it's only this year that Starmer drifts into what Stephen Bush rightly calls a "Trappist" approach to bigotry that the right have been able to move things.
As soon as politicians stop enforcing norms things can unravel very, very quickly. Currently the Starmer legacy based off the last six months of total capitulation and ceding of ground, bar one decent speech in September.
November 22, 2025 at 9:50 AM
Yeah, as much as I loathe him and he indulged far too much round the edges, Sunak did enforce boundaries on this, as did Starmer on opposition, it's only this year that Starmer drifts into what Stephen Bush rightly calls a "Trappist" approach to bigotry that the right have been able to move things.
Reposted by Alistair
Why did we spend so much money on testing, tracing but essentially nothing on isolation? Just built a big machine to be able to go 'wow! There's a lot of covid out there!'
November 22, 2025 at 4:57 PM
Why did we spend so much money on testing, tracing but essentially nothing on isolation? Just built a big machine to be able to go 'wow! There's a lot of covid out there!'